Month: September 2016

Yay, here is my article written with Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo. A South African and American collaboration. A bridge has officially been built between the two continents. Yes. South African Girls School Protest

Sans Souci Girls High School protesting after Pretoria Girls High School started to protest after black girls were forced to straighten their natural hair. Their natural hair was seen as “unruly” and “not neat.”

San Souci girls said they are not allowed to braid their hair. Braiding African hair is not only an ancient part of African culture but it is one of the most effective ways to mantain African hair.

Some girls wore traditional beaded bands to protest against white culture of which they are forced to assimilate to.

Girls were also protesting against the rejecting of their native languages. Xhosa is an official language in South Africa equal to English. The school however punished school girls for speaking Xhosa while those who spoke French were not reprimanded. Teachers speak Afrikaans to each other and the girls are taking a stand for their right to use their African languages.

The school in red Blazers is a neighboring school. Mostly white students from Westerford High School in solidarity with Sans Souci girls. They arrived carrying protests cards written in isiXhosa, the banned language at San Souci showing that as white English speaking students they reject white supremacy and racism against Africans.